Bay Area Protests Around the Inauguration

Joe Kukura

1 year ago

(Photo by Jabari Jacobs)

Donald Trump will assume the United States presidency with an approval rating of just 37 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll from last week. That is the lowest approval rating for any incoming U.S. president in the last 20 years. Trump also lost the popular vote by a historic 2.9 million votes in the November election.

For the majority of Americans who oppose Donald Trump, his inauguration is a chance to underscore how this country is truly not behind him. Here in the Bay Area, a number of massive street protests and demonstrations are scheduled during his inauguration on Friday, Jan. 20, and throughout the weekend. Here are some the biggest and best-organized demonstrations scheduled, with their dates, locations, and start times.

WOMEN’S MARCH BAY AREA

The Women’s Marches across the Bay Area are not just for women. Everyone is welcome, and these marches are for “everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties, and social justice for all,” because that kind of thing gets under Trump’s skin. ere are three major Women’s Marches scheduled in the Bay Area for Saturday in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. From the tens of thousands of RSVPs on their Facebook invites, the Women’s Marches look to
be by far the largest and best organized demonstrations scheduled for the weekend of the inauguration.

Women’s March in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan.21,3p.m., Civic Center

Women’s March in Oakland, Saturday, Jan.21, 10a.m., Madison Park

Women’s March in San Jose, Saturday, Jan.21, 10a.m., City Hall

BAY AREA RESIST TRUMP

Scheduled to coincide with the final moments of Barack Obama’s service as President of the United States, Bay Area Resist Trump will be marching in the streets of San Francisco’s Financial District during Trump’s inauguration ceremony Friday morning. e march will begin early in the day, though greeters will remain at Justin Herman Plaza all morning to let you know where you can catch up with the demonstrators. At noon Friday, the Bay Area Resist Trump march will congregate for a rally at 555 California St., the only Trump-owned building in San Francisco.

Friday, Jan. 20, 8 a.m., Justin Herman Plaza

BRIDGE TOGETHER GOLDEN GATE

The first-ever human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge will form on Friday morning, shortly after Trump is scheduled to take the oath of office. Bridge Together Golden Gate organizers insist they will not block traffic on the bridge, and that there will be a peaceful demonstration of hand-holding and solidarity. Demonstrators will hold purple fabric “as a sign of unity and antibullying,” and everyone is asked to bring a yard of purple fabric, ribbon, or scarf.

Friday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m., Golden Gate Bridge

PROTEST AGAINST TRUMP ON INAUGURATION DAY

If you can’t get out of your day job commitment on Friday but still wish to protest on the day of the inauguration, you have this after-work demonstration at San Francisco’s United Nations Plaza at Civic Center. Organized by ANSWER Bay Area (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), this event will begin with a rally and speakers and then cumlinate in a Friday night march.

Friday, Jan. 20, 5 p.m., U.N. Plaza at Civic Center

RESIST TRUMP: #OCCUPYINAUGURATION

You might not expect an Occupy event to bill itself as “family-friendly,” but this Saturday afternoon demonstration at Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza does just that. Protesters will meet at noon and “occupy” the plaza in a show of solidarity against the border wall, rape culture, and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Saturday, Jan. 21, noon, Frank Ogawa Plaza

Bay Area, you are not “in a bubble.” You represent a significant majority of Americans who disapprove of Donald Trump as president and who voted against him. We’ll see you on the streets this weekend.